Music rack and instrument support



Sept. 1, 1959 E. H. CRAWFORD 2,901,860

MUSIC RACK AND INSTRUMENT SUPPORT Filed Sept. 17, 1957 INVENTOR 542A CZAWFOZO BEZWM ATTORNEY United States Patent MUSIC RACK AND INSTRUMENT SUPPORT Earl H. Crawford, Dayton, Ohio Application September 17, 1957, Serial No. 684,579

1 Claim. (Cl. 45-62) This invention relates to a music rack assembly, and it more particularly relates to a rack which is adapted to support both sheet music and a wind instrument such as a trombone or trumpet in rest position.

Although it has previously been proposed to make a support device capable of holding both sheet music and an instrument, such prior devices were either incapable of adequately supporting the relatively heavy instrument without putting an undue strain on the support device leading it to collapse, or were so heavy and clumsy that it was very diflicult to handle them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rack assembly which is easily handled, light in weight, collapsible, and yet capable of adequately supporting both sheet music and a musical instrument.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rack assembly wherein the parts are easily adjustable relative to each other.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved rack assembly, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combina tion of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly in elevation, the section being taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a standard surrounded adjacent its bottom portion by a sleeve 12 which is fixed thereto. At the upper end of the sleeve 12 is a collar 14 having three radially extending ears 16. Pivotally connected to each ear 16, as at 18, is a link 20, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected, as at 22, to one leg 24 of a tripod support 25. The upper ends of the legs 24 are each pivotally connected, as at 26, to an ear 28 of a collar 30. The collar 30 is slidable on the lower end of the rod forming the standard 10 and is limited in its upward movement by the reduced portion 32 of the sleeve 12. By this construction, the tripod 25 is movable from a collapsed position, wherein the legs 24 are generally parallel with and close to the vertical plane of the standard 10, to the operative position illustrated in the drawing.

At the upper end of the standard 10 is provided a sleeve 34 integral with a generally upwardly-conical head 36. The head 36 has a slightly concave side wall area and is of a size to snugly fit within the horn section of a wind instrument such as the trombone indicated in dotted outline at 37.

Extending laterally from the hollow sleeve or standard 10, intermediate the collar 14 and the sleeve 34 of the ICC head 36, is a bar 38. The bar 38 is provided with holes 40 and 41 of an appropriate size on each end, one hole 40 to fit about standard 10, the other hole 41 about a rod 46, it being noted that, when head 36 is not used, the rod 46 may extend into hollow sleeve or standard 10 and support the music rack 54 in the usual manner. Extending through a side of bar 38 and intersecting each hole 40 and 41 is a transverse screw-threaded opening 42 through which extends a set-screw 44.

One hole 40 in the bar 38 receives the standard 10 and the bar 38 is slidably adjustable thereon; the bar 38 being held in its adjusted position by tightening the corresponding set-screw 44. In the other hole 41 is slidably received music rack rod 46 also held in adjusted position by the corresponding set-screw 44. At the upper end of the rod 46 is provided an enlarged, cylindrical head 48 frictionally engaged within a sleeve or socket 50' which extends out from the center post 52 of a music rack 54.

The center post 52 is connected to a transverse bottom support 56. Extending up from opposite sides of the support 56 are posts 58, one such post 58 being positioned on each side of post 52. The posts 58 extend in oppositely outwardly-inclined directions and are connected to the center post 52 by transverse rods 60. Brace bars 62 connect the rods 60 to the upper end of the post 52 for additional rigidity of the structure.

The operation of the device is apparent from the above description and drawing. Essentially, the bar 38 which supports music rack 54 provides for a vertical adjustment of the rack. At the same time, the head 36 very strongly supports a wind instrument 37 having a horn portion such as a trombone or trumpet by merely being insertable in the horn portion. In this position, the full weight of the instrument is borne by its strongest and widest part while the weight of that part itself is evenly distributed over the strongest and widest part of the standard, to wit, the head 36. Furthermore, in this position, wherein the instrument hangs straight down from the upper end of the standard, its own weight acts to rigidify the standard and to maintain the instrument itself steady.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

A support for a bell mouthed musical instrument, adapted to be mounted on the hollow standard of a music rack from which the rack has been removed, said support comprising a conical head member dimensioned to fit internally of the bell mouth of an instrument having a depending hollow sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to surround the upper end of said standard to support said conical head vertically above the standard to receive the bell mouth of the instrument to support the instrument in vertical depending relation, said conical head member having a peripherally concaved side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 432,305 Foley July 15, 1890 575,711 Haley Ian. 26, 1897 597,722 Krauth Jan. 25, 1898 899,548 Marrero et a1. Sept. 29, 1908 1,734,577 Henry Nov. 5, 1929 1,781,203 Teleki Nov. 11, 1930 2,529,351 Putnam Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 404 Italy Sept. 30, 1873 

